I was reminded of a blog that I once followed faithfully, Time Goes By written by Ronni Bennet. During the time I wasn't reading her blog, she managed to fight off pancreatic cancer, surviving a major surgery in the process. Yes, time happens to us all. And I was reminded of that last night when I went to the local high school gym to watch my granddaughter play a game of indoor rugby in a wheelchair. The Chico State University rugby team were in wheelchairs temporarily while my granddaughter is in hers permanently. This is her third year attending the Ability First camp that arranges a full week of physical activity for a group of young people (under 18) that wouldn't normally be able to do. Waterskiing, tennis and rugby are just some of the activities. These kids come alive! But, I was unable to make it through the whole game. The pain in my hip was unrelenting and the heat and humidity undid me! My wife took me home. That's when I started thinking about the fact that it was just 11 years ago that I first felt the hip pain that changed my life. I was circling the park, training for my 6th marathon when I felt it. Within weeks the pain increased. I saw a doctor and he sent me to see another doctor. I had x-rays and MRI's, plus a few CT scans. Then a second opinion. The pain continued to increase. I saw pain specialists and acupuncturists. Still, the pain increased. It was soon unbearable. Then a surgery. The pain abated for a few weeks and then returned as I became more active. Another surgery. Pain was reduced but not gone. Another surgery for a spinal cord stimulator installation. Later, another surgery move it to a different location. Finally, another surgery to remove it altogether. The pain remains. Without the constant exercise that racing demanded, COPD showed up. And time went by....
Now I'm an elder that feels sorry for himself too often.
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